CBRNe World Capability Profile: Genencor International

DEFENZ™ : Enzymatic Decon for Chemical Threats
Enzymatic decontamination of toxic substances is now out of the lab and into the field. Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, DEFENZTM is now commercially available to expand or replace your current decontamination methods in a safe, environmentally friendly and easy to use approach to traditional decontamination.

Genencor, a Danisco division, offers the military, first responders and other operatives our full line of DEFENZTM products to meet your needs: everything from simulated live-agent decon training to personal, equipment and large scale decontamination activities.

Current commercial products include:
DEFENZ™ 120: demonstrated activity against G-type nerve agents,
DEFENZ™ 130: activity against VX, Russian-VX and numerous OP pesticides such as parathion, DEFENZTM TS: activity against Methylsalicilate, a commonly used stimulant for chemical detectors.

DEFENZTM offers numerous advantages over traditional chemical decontamination solutions by being non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-flammable, easy to use and environmentally friendly. DEFENZ™ is also highly efficient, decontaminating many times its weight, compatible with current dispersal equipment and easily scaleable to meet individual requirements. Another key benefit is that water usage is decreased because little or no rinsing is involved. It is also a perfect application for post mortuary decon.

Adding DEFENZ™ to current decontamination formulations significantly reduces the chemical footprint, thus improving logistics for decontamination. As an added benefit, DEFENZ™ is active in either tap, hard or salt water, allowing the use of any available water source.

In summary, the use of DEFENZ™ can be used as a stand-alone product or used to expand or replace your current decontamination methods, making them safer while reducing their chemical footprint. Emergency personnel will no longer need to be exposed to harsh or caustic chemicals. DEFENZ™ reduces logistical burdens associated with water usage and chemical transport, stores more safely and at lower risks; and offers an easy to use, but equally effective decontamination alternative.

Genencor is also expanding the DEFENZ™ capabilities to include mustard degradation and total efficacy against biological warfare agents and viruses such as anthrax and toxins such as ricin and botulinum. By aggressively pursuing enzyme decontamination technologies, the overall preparedness to respond against such threats would increase, taking some of the “terror” out of terrorism.

To learn more about DEFENZ technology, contact Genencor at:

USA and Canada: +1-800-847-5311 or +1-585-256-5200 or in Europe at +31-71-5686-168.

www.genencor.com